8 things to do in Paris in winter

Warm up at underground jazz clubs, gourmet cooking classes, cozy cafes, and more.

By Kristy Alpert 18 Mar 2025 

I first fell in love with Paris in the winter. Despite moving to the city in the thick of its notoriously grey low season, I discovered the misty air cast a moody sheen on the city. And winter here still completely entrances me to this day, even more so than the city’s more celebrated seasons of spring, summer, and fall.

Even the most bitter of winter breezes in Paris come perfumed with the heady scent of buttery pastries, making a bad weather day somehow deliciously exciting. Plus, there’s a special energy to winter in Paris, especially during les soldes—the twice annual sales that arrives after the Christmas season, usually starting the second Wednesday in January. And that energy burst continues into Paris’ Fashion Week in late February and early March (tip: book hotels early if you’re visiting then).

So pack an umbrella and warm coat (winter temps usually range from the high 30s to the mid 40s.)—make it a long puffer or wool coat to dress Parisian—and be prepared to be enchanted by Paris’ wintery charm.

Go ice skating

During the festive winter months, December to January, is when you’ll encounter most of Paris’ skating rink popping-up at the marchés de noël, or Christmas markets. But some of the city’s most magical seasonal rinks stay open well past the New Year.

Skating at the Grand Palais des Glace, set inside the impressively ornate Grand Palais, can feel surreal during the day, but it’s even more so at night when it turns into a nightclub on ice, DJs and disco balls included. (Book tickets in advance since this is a popular spot). The most fashionable (and expensive to skate on) winter rink is for kids 5 to 12 and can be found hidden within the courtyard of the Hotel Plaza Athénée, where a 1,000-square-foot ice rink illuminated with hundreds of sparkling lights is the centerpiece for the hotel’s winter village and rink-side chalet.

Tip: The largest ice rink in Paris is inside the Accor Arena and it’s open through May.

Warm up with hot chocolate

Café culture in Paris is still vibrant during winter, while the red glow of heaters adds both a visual and physical warmth to cafe terraces. I learned quickly, though, that it’s not always a café crème (coffee with milk) that Parisians are nursing during the winter months. Warming up in the afternoon with a cup of incredibly rich hot chocolate, or chocolat chaud, is the ultimate indulgence; many Parisians think of it as a way of adding a touch of sweetness to a dark wintery day.

True chocolat chaud should be thick and rich enough that your spoon can almost stand straight up, and made with real melted chocolate. Some chocolatiers will serve gourmet versions, like the lightly-sweetened single-origin creation from Jade Genin, daughter of celebrated chocolatier Jacques Genin, while others serve chantilly-topped mugs alongside classic French confections.

Tip: Order it with a Mont Blanc–a meringue and chestnut cream dessert–at Angelina, an opera cake at Café de la Paix, or seasonal macaron at Carette.

Sample Seasonal Sweets 

I like to mark the seasons in Paris based on which cakes they’re selling at the patisseries and boulangeries. The tell-tale sign of winter? Galette de rois (i.e., king cake), a cake made from two layers of puff pastry filled with an almond-based pastry crème with a hidden bean or charm inside for a lucky winner to find and be crowned “king” for the day. As early as December you’ll start seeing these round, flaky pastries pop up around the city. Galette de rois are traditionally eaten on January 6 to celebrate Epiphany, but they’re so loved in France that they’re often made fresh all month long.

Tip: Galette de rois season is followed almost immediately by another special food holiday: February 2 is La Fête des Crêpes in France, a day dedicated to eating crêpes.

Head to an underground jazz club

Jazz came to Paris during WWI, and transformed the city’s historic basement bars into lively underground venues. Today, some of Paris’ best jazz clubs are actually found underground, hidden in basements (i.e., caves) and ancient cellars around the city, and are the perfect spots to tuck away on a blustery winter’s night. Some of the earliest caves date back to the 1500s, like Le Caveau de la Huchette, which was said to be a meeting point for the Templars and Freemasons but is now one of the top jazz clubs in the world.

Jam sessions and concerts are normal nightly occurrences at Le Cave de 38Riv and Le Caveau des Oubliettes—a medieval prison turned jazz club—which also hosts a weekly English stand-up comedy night.

Tip: See even more of the city’s underground with a visit to the Paris Catacombs, which I highly recommend checking out if you’re interested in history.

Enjoy museum masterpieces without the crowds

There are museums for every interest in Paris, and even the most famed, like the Louvre Museum, are noticeably less crowded during Paris’ chilly low season. I once visited the Musée de l’Orangerie on a weekday in winter and nearly had Monet’s “Water Lilies” to myself (although, sorry to say, there’s little chance of getting alone time with the hyper-popular Mona Lisa even on the coldest day). The Paris Museum Pass from the Office de Tourisme is a great investment for anyone looking to bounce around between exhibits while in town.

Tip: Museums in Paris are free the first Sunday of every month (although note that they’re also more crowded when there’s no entrance fee).

Shop the winter markets

Weekly markets are the lifeblood for Parisians, especially during winter when seasonal produce takes on an almost medicinal quality and a simple interaction with their local cheesemonger is the cure for seasonal blues. Pluck a bundle of French radishes to eat the French way, i.e., uncooked and dipped in salted butter, and linger over handmade saucisson (sausage) samples or simply soak in the delicate scent of local leeks. You’ll notice that French people smell their produce before making a purchase, so let your senses do the shopping for you; if something smells delicious, it will likely taste delicious, too.

Most of the covered markets in the city are open daily except Monday, like the Marché Couvert des Enfants Rouges, while the open-air markets open a few mornings a week depending on location in the city. Meet the farmers themselves at Marché Bastille or soak in both Eiffel Tower views and vibrant market stalls from the Marché de Saxe-Breteuil.

Tip: Keep an eye out for roasted chestnuts this season, as they’re also said to be a cure for jetlag.

Escape the cold in stylish covered passageways

Escaping the elements is as much an art form in Paris as figuring out chic ways of enduring them (i.e., umbrellas, head scarves, classy raincoats, etc.). One of the most visually stunning ways to duck in for cover is via the city’s lesser-known shopping arcades, or passages couvert. There are more than 200 throughout the city, where indoor cafés and charming boutiques are nestled side-by-side beneath ornate ceilings. Among my favorites are the gorgeous Galerie Vivienne in the 2nd arrondissement that dates back to 1823. And the used books at Librarie du Passage inside Passage Jouffroy and the trinkets of L’Effet Bulles inside Passage Choiseul are a welcomed distraction from any cold weather.

Take a cooking class

What better way to warm up than in an oven-warmed room in the heart of French gastronomy? English-speaking cooking classes in the city range from beginner to expert, with classes that last just a few hours to multi-day courses for mastering advanced techniques. Learn the art of the French macaron at a half day cooking class or dig into French culture and life through the immersive courses that include a visit to a market before making a multi-course meal with classic French sources accompanied by wine (the perfect way to spend a winter’s afternoon). You can even channel your inner Julia Child with culinary workshops at famed Le Cordon Bleu that last anywhere from one-to-three hours and are ideal for anyone looking to bring back a new—and highly acclaimed—French skill from their time in Paris.